Thousands of UC Santa Barbara students are getting copies of the Dalai Lama’s book before his April visit to the University.

The UC Santa Barbara Library has chosen "Ethics for the New Millennium" by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama as this year's book selection for the UCSB Reads program. In his book, the revered spiritual leader and best-selling author presents a moral framework based on universal, rather than religious, principles.

Some 2,500 copies of the book will be given to students starting January 21, Kimberely Thompson, spokesperson for the university, said in an interview with VOA Tibetan Service. The Dalai Lama makes his fourth visit to the University of California, Santa Barbara, on April 24.